Southern Britain's Lost Kingdoms

by Peter Kessler, 1 April 1999. Updated
14 February 2007

As can be seen in the previous sections, there were many far less well-attested British kingdoms which almost
certainly existed for a time in central and southern Britain.

However while there are many kingdoms or territories which do not always
have kings to go with them. occasionally there are also records
of kings or chieftains who cannot be positively identified with any particular kingdom.

St Germanus, soon after his second landing in Britain in the 440s, met a British leader
named as Elaf (Elaphius - Bede, A History of the English Church and People,
ch.21). He may have ruled the area around Caer Gwinntguic
(Roman Venta, now Winchester in Hampshire).

A second possible king is Nudd, who may well have been the King Natan or
Natanlaod killed by Cerdic in 508 at the Battle of Netley (Natanleag). This area covers
the western side of the Southampton Water, placing it firmly in Caer Gwinntguic's
proposed borders once again.

Caer Celemion
(from Roman Calleva, modern Silchester in
Hampshire) was certainly a centre of resistance by the British, as indicated by protective
dykes that surround its northern borders. Legends exist of a giant named Onion living
there. This indicates a potential leader, or king, called Einion. The
appellation of "giant" could equate a strong or particularly tough warrior,
appropriate for a British enclave that held out, almost entirely isolated,
until the seventh century.